Washington:
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney won a non-binding nominating contest in the northeastern state of Maine on Saturday with 39 per cent of the vote, the head of state Republican party said.
Second-place finisher in the Maine caucuses with 36 per cent was the libertarian Texas congressman, Ron Paul, who spent much time campaigning in the state even though no delegates were at stake.
Former senator Rick Santorum received 18 per cent of the vote, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich came in last with eight per cent, Maine Republican Party chairman Charlie Webster said.
Though Maine is considered a beauty contest, Mr Romney's win there was important to reaffirming his frontrunner status after a three state loss this week to Santorum that raised fresh doubts about the former Massachusetts governors' appeal.
Mr Romney also got a boost earlier in the day by winning a straw poll among participants at a major conservative gathering in Washington, winning 38 per cent of the vote to 31 per cent for Mr Santorum.
Mr Romney had not spent much time in Maine, but made an 11th-hour visit on Friday to rally supporters and ward off the possibility of another defeat, which could have done major damage to a candidacy that has had trouble catching fire.
With only about 5,000 votes cast in the caucuses, Mr Romney beat Mr Paul by 196 votes.
"This is an unofficial, non-binding poll that just simply shows a snapshot or takes a current pulse of which presidential candidate has the most support at the participating caucuses throughout the state," Mr Webster said.
Accepting the loss in Maine, Paul, a champion of small government and an opponent of US foreign intervention, told his supporters: "Just remember, the revolution is only beginning."
Still, Mr Paul acknowledged that Mr Romney's victory re-validated his frontrunner status.
"He just doesn't have the enthusiasm that I think we have been able to get in our crowds, you know, really excited about what he believes in. I think that's his biggest problem," Mr Paul said.
"But I would say, yes, he is out in front and people are picking away at him. He lost a few but he picked up a little steam today. You have to give him credit for that."